THURSDAY'S SCORES
Lindenwood 0, @Milwaukee 0
@Eastern Illinois 3, University of Chicago 0
@Butler 2,
Southern Indiana 1
@Liberty 5, Mount Olive 0
Gardner-Webb 3,
@HCU 2
IU Indy 2,
@UIW 0
@#25 SIUE 1, Michigan State 1
@Grand Canyon 3,
Western Illinois 0
LINDENWOOD 0, MILWAUKEE 0
MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Lindenwood men's soccer (0-0-1) settled for a 0-0 draw on Thursday as they opened up their 2024 regular season against Horizon League opponent Milwaukee (0-0-1). LU's draw ended a five year streak of opening day loses.
During this defensive match, the Lions were out shot 11-12 but had five shots on goal including two from returning First Team All-OVC selection Ethan Blake. John Gates, making his LU debut, made an impact early with a breakaway in the second minute but failed to convert. Blake shortly after tried from 20-yards away but was knocked away by Milwaukee's Daniel Ibarra.
Lindenwood came out looking for offense posting seven of their 11 shots in the first half. The Panthers were able to contain the Lions' forwards in the second half with just four shots.
Goalie Enzo Gil was perfect on Thursday playing all 90 minutes making five saves. During the 64th minute of play, Gil made back-to-back diving effort saves to keep Milwaukee off the scoreboard. Luke Neely and Quinn Connolly played all 90 minutes for the Lions helping on the defensive side.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, CHICAGO 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois Men's Soccer team emerged victorious, 3-0, in their season opener on Thursday night versus the University of Chicago.
This marks the first time since the 2018 season that the Panthers have started the year with a victory.
Tonight's match-up was scored as the first regular season game of 2024 for EIU as University of Chicago still waits to kick off their season.
A back and forth first half resulted in a 0-0 score as the only shot on goal came from University of Chicago at the seven-minute mark.
Eastern Illinois was able to capitalize off of their second half resurgence as Sam Eccles assisted Jackson Liley to put EIU ahead 1-0. Shortly after, Eccles found teammate Kyle Kimberling for a tap in goal to further increase the lead to 2-0.
The Panthers offensive efforts did not stall there as junior Casey Welage found the back of a net after a Chicago foul led to an EIU free kick with 10 minutes remaining.
This increased the Panther lead to 3-0 as EIU finished strong and closed out the game while holding their opponents scoreless.
BUTLER 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer lost a tough season opener at Butler University, 2-1, Thursday evening in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles, who are on the road for the first five matches of 2024, start the year 0-1-0, while Butler begins 2024 1-0-0.
Following a Butler tally at 7:33 of the opening half, USI evened the score at 11:11 when freshman midfielder Ahiro Nakamae (Fishers, Indiana) recorded his first collegiate goal and the Eagles' first official tally of the season. Nakamae was assisted on the play by senior midfielder Garland Hall (Evansville, Indiana) and sophomore midfielder Pablo Juan (St. Louis, Missouri).
The score would remain a 1-1 draw through the remainder of the first half. Butler had the advantage through much of the first 45 minutes with a 12-2 lead in shots.
In the second half, Butler regained the lead, 2-1, with a goal 6:29 into the final 45 minutes. The Bulldogs would control the second half, outshooting USI, 8-2, and posting a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.
The Eagles' chances came at 70:48 off the foot of Nakame, a shot on-goal, and at 83:57 when freshman forward David Davila (Elkhart, Indiana), blast that was blocked by the defense.
Between the posts, sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Klott (St. Charles, Missouri) allowed the two goals after facing 20 shots, seven on-goal. He also made five saves in the opener.
LIBERTY 5, MOUNT OLIVE 0
LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Liberty Flames shut out the Mount Olive Trojans 5-0 to start the 2024 regular season Thursday evening at Osborne Stadium.
Forward Michael Huss scored two goals and Leo Conneh, Gabe Findley and Elijah John each netted a goal for the Flames in the victory.
Liberty controlled play throughout the contest, holding Mount Olive to two shots on goal and four total in the contest.
Conneh scored the Flames’ first goal of the season during the 28th minute to give the home team a 1-0 advantage at halftime, before netting four goals in the second half.
Liberty outshot Mt. Olive, 19-4, in the contest. The Flames had 11 shots on goal, while the Trojans put two shots on frame.
Huss scored two goals in a game for the third time in his career. Huss last scored two goals in a game in a 9-1 win over VMI on Oct. 12, 2021. Conneh, who scored two goals during his freshman season, not only netted a goal in the game but also recorded an assist. Last season, the forward tied for the OVC lead in assists with seven.
GARDNER-WEBB 3, HCU 2
HOUSTON - Houston Christian University dropped its season opener on Thursday night as Gardner-Webb University escaped with a 3-2 decision at Sorrels Field.
The visitors from Boiling Springs, North Carolina jumped out to a quick two-goal lead before 20 minutes were off the clock. Elias Khodri gave the Bulldogs the opening tally in the 15th minute when he directed in a cross from Breno Correia on the right side just past the keeper at the right post.
A second score came just under four minutes later as Leo Andrade knocked in a header off a cross from Khodri at the 18:06 mark.
Four minutes later, Freddy Ferguson would open the 2024 ledger for the Huskies, as he intercepted a poor clearance by the GW keeper and poked a hard smash into an empty left side to cut the lead to one.
Gardner-Webb would get that goal back however, as Caio Hughes smacked a shot from the left side along the end line to the upper right corner, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a 3-1 lead with under seven to play before the intermission.
HCU didn't waste any time out of the break drawing closer. A minute and a half into the second session,n Kaone Kolagano picked off a loose ball in off the bounce just inside the 18-yard box for a smashing right-footed goal that pulled HCU to within a single goal once again, 3-2.
That would be all for the scoring, as the two teams slugged it out for the remaining 43 minutes with neither team giving an inch defensively as GW held on for a season-opening road victory.
Kolagano and Ferguson picked up the first goals of the season for the Huskies, who got nine shots total and four on goal in the match. Hans Leza and Kevin Yamna joined Kolagano with two shots and one SOG for the evening. Jordan Santa Cruz made two saves in the losing effort in the woodwork.
Gardner-Webb (1-0) got three points from Elias Khodri with his goal and assist. Andrade and Hughes each nabbed goals while Correia and Lucas Gonzalez each also chipped in an assist. Alan Horrocks picked up his first win minding the net, registering a pair of saves.
IU INDY 2, UIW 0
SAN ANTONIO - Recap coming soon.
#25 SIUE 1, MICHIGAN STATE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE's Nic Muench scored the equalizer Thursday as the 25th-ranked Cougars came back to earn a 1-1 draw with Michigan State on opening night at Korte Stadium.
Patrick Coleman collected the assist, slotting a ball between two defenders from the right sideline. Muench finished from just outside the six-yard box to the far post.
Michigan State took an initial lead in the first half when Sean Kerrigan converted a penalty in the 38th minute.
The Spartans outshot SIUE 12-4 and held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. Nacho Abeal led the Cougars with a pair of shots, including one on goal. Jake Karolczak also had a shot on frame for SIUE.
SIUE goalkeeper Rob Gjelaj made five saves in his first regular season start for the Cougars. MSU goalkeeper Zac Kelly made two saves.
GRAND CANYON 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
PHOENIX - Western Illinois kicked off the 2024 men's soccer season late on Thursday night. A match originally scheduled for 7 P.M. local time was pushed back 55 minutes due to lightning in the area, as things officially got underway at 7:55.
Western showed much promise early in the match, not developing many offensive chances but preventing GCU from any goal-scoring opportunities. Transfer keeper Micah Ramirez made a pair of solid plays early on, including a grab in the seventh minute that took away any Antelope chance.
The Leathernecks' best scoring opportunity in the first half, as forward Armin Dedic received the ball after a deflection near the corner of the 18-yard box and fired a first-touch shot just wide of the net.
Grand Canyon had a great chance in the 26th minute but launched it over the crossbar as the nil-nil score held.
The Antelopes capitalized on a poor pass attempt from the Leathernecks in the 36th, as GCU forward Bright Nutornusi took just one touch before firing a shot into an open net. Not one minute later, Grand Canyon took advantage of another failed pass attempt, pushing the ball forward to Nutornusi for his second goal in 48 seconds. The two-nil scoreline held until the halftime break.
Western came out aggressive to start the second half, getting a pair of great chances inside four minutes, but they could not convert them. In the 53rd, Tyler Philpott fired one in from outside the box, but his attempt was saved.
Jimmy Baars made an excellent play onto Xavier Gagnon in the 59th, but Gagnon took an early shot that was driven wide. The Antelopes answered back instantly as Jony Muñoz scored an incredible 60th-minute bicycle kick to take a three-nil lead.
The Leathernecks drew a corner in the 75th just a few inches outside of the 18-yard box on the near-side. Baars played it low and it was nearly put in by Benjamin Graham but it was just deflected out for a corner.
Ramirez made another great save in the 78th, making easy work of a one-on-one inside the box, but neither side would get a great chance in the final 12 minutes.